AEFIS Onboarding Discovery Guide
Welcome to AEFIS Discovery Guide!

Onboarding in One Word

Onboarding At-A-Glance
Client Success Management Cycle
Onboarding Overview
Step | Description | Key Deliverables |
1. Kick-Off | The Kick-Off Meeting is the first step of AEFIS onboarding. During this meeting, we will do introductions, provide you with a high level overview of the onboarding process, and discuss teams, roles and responsibilities. | • Meet & Greet • Teams, Roles & Responsibilities • Overview |
2. Technical Implementation | During the Technical Implementation step, our Onboarding Team will work with your Technical Team to accomplish technical set up including authentication (SSO), SIS integration, LMS Integration and configuration of your AEFIS platform. Completion of the Technical Implementation will be necessary before we begin Discovery. | • Platform URL • Platform Setup • SiS Integration • SSO Integration Optional • LMS Integration • Email Relay • Special Projects |
3. Discovery ▲ YOU ARE HERE! | The Discovery step allows our Client Management Team to get to know your institution and assist you in the development of a Success Plan and timeline that supports your goals and requirements. During this phase, we will work with you to perform a gap-fit analysis and you will sign off on the Success Plan as a deliverable. | • Discovery • Gap-Fit Analysis • Success Plan • Sign-Off |
4. Success Plan | During the Success Plan step, we will work together to help you execute your Success Plan and support you with training-of-the-trainers as you begin learning the ins-and-outs of AEFIS. We will connect with you regularly during this period to ensure you are staying on track with your Success Plan. | •Execution of Success Plan • Training of the University Team Optional •Special Training |
5. Adoption | In the Adoption step, you will be transitioned to the Client Support Team for day to day support and AEFIS Academy, your help and training resource. Our Client Management Team will continue to periodically connect with you to review and update your Success Plan and continue our collaboration. | • Launch • Client Support • Ongoing Collaboration Optional • Site-Visit |
Discovery Overview
Overview
The Discovery step allows our Client Management Team to get to know your campus and assist you in the design of an onboarding timeline and ‘Success Plan’ that supports your needs. The discovery, gap fit analysis and creation of your ‘Success Plan’ usually takes about two to four weeks.
Goals for Discovery
- Perform Gap-Fit Analysis
- Review capabilities and best practices of each of the AEFIS Solutions
- Create a detailed ‘Success Plan’ based on your expectations and timelines
- Learn more about current assessment practices
- Determine any special projects (i.e. custom data migrations)
Questions to Consider
- Overarching question/commentary: In a few sentences, what is the biggest challenge facing you right now?
- What processes would you like to improve that may be #aefisable?
- If you are transitioning from a previous platform, are their specific processes that you would like to replicate or improve in AEFIS?
- What is your institution assessment strategy? Does it include co-curricular experiences?
Useful Documents to Provide the Client Management Team:
- Current syllabus templates, survey templates, curriculum maps, assessment plans/reports, strategic plans etc.
Deliverables
- Gap-Fit Analysis
- Success Plan
- Sign-Off
Discovery Process & Templates
A. Gap-Fit Analysis
This exercise is designed to clarify the differences between what your institution has been doing for each AEFIS Solution that has been purchased and what you would like to be doing with AEFIS in the near future.
B. Success Plan
By the end of this interactive ‘gap-fit’ discussion, AEFIS Staff should be able to prepare a draft ‘Success Plan’ based on the information put forth in this analysis . The client will be asked to verify/edit the proposed plan for review by AEFIS. In some cases, AEFIS may not have all the features desired by the institution. This would need to be carefully stated in the ‘Success Plan,’ perhaps with some indication of whether, or when, each of these features would become available.
C. Sign-Off
Once there is a shared agreement on the ‘Success Plan’, the required vendor/client will ‘Sign-Off’ on the plan. As a general ‘best practice’ this document should also list all the interim deliverables, by both parties, and the dates they are anticipated.
AEFIS Solutions Overview
AEFIS platform has these solutions intentionally designed and developed from the ground up to work together seamlessly to create exponential benefit from assessment and continuous improvement efforts. Please see the subsequent sections of this document for key features and benefits about each of the AEFIS Solutions.
AEFIS is an all-in-one platform with integrated solutions that work together.
Curriculum Mapping + Outcomes Alignment Solution — Discovery Guide
- Are you planning on implementing the AEFIS “Curriculum Mapping + Outcome Alignment” Solution within the first academic year? If YES, proceed with the questions below. If NO, you may skip to the next AEFIS Solution.
- Do all the programs currently have curriculum maps and program learning outcomes?
- If yes, what format and where are they housed?
- Does each program have a set of professionally recognized competencies/learning outcomes that students are expected to accomplish?
- Does your general education program have formal learning outcomes that students are expected to accomplish?
- If yes to questions 4 and 45, are these mapped to either the accreditor outcomes, institutional learning outcomes, and/or the courses already?
- Does the campus have a set of professionally recognized accreditation standards that the School, Department or Program are expected to accomplish? If so, are these mapped to each program or course where each standard is to be addressed?
- Are Course Learning Outcomes being mapped to Program Learning Outcomes?
- What is your desired roll-out plan for this solution?
- What is your desired go-live timeline for this solution?
- Will this roll-out be phased in any way (e.g., some units first, others later)?
- Other comments/questions: What else would you like us to know?
Outcomes Assessment + Evidence Collection Solution — Discovery Guide
- Are you planning on implementing the AEFIS “Outcomes Assessment + Evidence Collection” Solution within the first academic year? If YES, proceed with the questions below. If NO, you may skip to the next AEFIS Solution.
- How do your instructors currently collect outcomes assessment data? In the campus LMS (Canvas, Blackboard, D2L), Exam Management Software (Examsoft or Exam Manager), Publisher Software (Wiley, Pearson), or other tools.
- How are the data reported from the outcomes assessments on CLOs, PLOs, Accreditation Outcomes and Institutional Outcome performance?
- Are rubrics currently being used by instructors or external assessors for scoring assessments? Does your campus utilize AAC&U Value Rubrics?
- Are test/quiz questions mapped to the CLO, PLO and/accreditationstandards?
- If students in a given School / Program are expected to master a specific set of outcomes, are students provided with a report that displays their semester by semester progress toward the achievement of all outcomes?
- What is your desired roll-out plan for this solution?
- What is your desired go-live timeline for this solution?
- Will this roll-out be phased in any way (e.g., some units first, others later)?
- Other comments/questions: What else would you like us to know?
Outcomes Transcript + Competency Portfolio [CLR] Solution — Discovery Guide
- Are you planning on implementing the AEFIS “Outcomes Transcript + Competency Portfolio [CLR”] Solution within the first academic year? If YES, proceed with the questions below. If NO, you may skip to the next AEFIS Solution.
- Are students at your institution provided with summaries of their performance that are organized by learning outcomes/course objectives? If not, would you like to?
- Are students at your institution encouraged or required to engage in non-course learning activities such as summer projects or other internships, community service, club participation and leadership, the pursuit of ‘badges’, etc.?
- What is your desired roll-out plan for this solution?
- What is your desired go-live timeline for this solution?
- Will this roll-out be phased in any way (e.g., some units first, others later)?
- Other comments/questions: What else would you like us to know?
Strategic Planning + Data Collection Solution — Discovery Guide

- Are you planning on implementing the AEFIS “Strategic Planning + Data Collection” Solution within the first academic year? If YES, proceed with the questions below. If NO, you may skip to the next AEFIS Solution.
- Is there a campus-wide strategic plan or vision for the future that has specific objectives that can be measured and tracked over time?
- Are these objectives now being measured and tracked online or on paper?
- Are specific committees responsible for specific elements and are their deliberations tracked online or on paper?
- Are there administrator or committee driven processes on campus that could / should be moved online so that the deliberation and outcomes can be both transparent and tracked? Examples of such processes might include:
- Program and Administrative Unit Assessment Plan/Reporting:
- Outcome Assessment Feedback/Improvement by Faculty:
- Course Evaluation Feedback/Improvement by Faculty:
- Annual Faculty Review:
- Tenure and Promotion:
- New Course Approval/Course Review:
- New Program Approval/Program Review:
- Exam/Clinical Absence Forms
- Other Processes:
- What is your desired roll-out plan for this solution?
- What is your desired go-live timeline for this solution?
- Will this roll-out be phased in any way (e.g., some units first, others later)?
- Other comments/questions: What else would you like us to know?
Course + Syllabus Management Solution — Discovery Guide
- Are you planning on implementing the AEFIS “Course + Syllabus Management” Solution within the first academic year? If YES, proceed with the questions below. If NO, you may skip to the next AEFIS Solution.
- How are course syllabi managed presently? Uploaded to the LMS (Canvas, Blackboard, D2L), emailed to students, or other methods.
- Do you have a campus-wide template? Is this template approved by a faculty governance process and/or curriculum committee? If so, when and does it need a revision before being added to AEFIS?
- Are schools, or departments, allowed to add their own sections to the template?
- Are course learning outcomes/objectives already defined for all the courses?
- Are Course Syllabi ‘approved’ by School or Departmental committees (or administrators) before they can be published to students?
- Are there deadlines for when syllabi should be published to students?
- What is your desired roll-out plan for this solution?
- What is your desired go-live timeline for this solution?
- Will this roll-out be phased in any way (e.g., some units first, others later)?
- Other comments/questions: What else would you like us to know?
Course Evaluation + Feedback Solution — Discovery Guide
- Are you planning on implementing the AEFIS “Course Evaluation + Feedback” Solution within the first academic year? If YES, proceed with the questions below. If NO, you may skip to the next AEFIS Solution.
- How are course evaluations presently managed? Centrally managed by the institution, or by the individual college/schools and/or departments.
- Do you have a standardized course evaluation instrument? If so, when was it last updated?
Can instructors add questions to their course evaluation? - Do instructors formally reflect on their course evaluation results? If so, do you have a reflection form to capture these reflections?
- Does your institution have online courses? If so, how are data collected from these students currently?
- Is Course Evaluation Data used for Tenure and Promotion decisions?
- What is your desired roll-out plan for this solution?
- What is your desired go-live timeline for this solution?
- Will this roll-out be phased in any way (e.g., some units first, others later)?
- Other comments/questions: What else would you like us to know?
Faculty Activity + Curriculum Vitae Solution — Discovery Guide
- Are you planning on implementing the AEFIS “Faculty Activity + Curriculum Vitae” Solution within the first academic year? If YES, proceed with the questions below. If NO, you may skip to the next AEFIS Solution.
- Is there campus-wide or school-wide interest in creating CV templates that will allow Department, School and Campus-wide reporting in a given academic or calendar year?
- If so, are there any efforts underway on campus to do so? If so, what is the acceptance level of these efforts by faculty?
- Similarly, can CV data be entered by departmental assistants/secretaries and reviewed by individual instructors for accuracy?
- Are faculty portfolio’s updated annually?
- If so, is faculty compliance with such requests timely?
- If not, what steps are being considered which would improve compliance?
- Are faculty portfolio’s published on a campus website or are they maintained locally on an Intranet website?
- Is there a process for tracking instructor workload which includes calculating teaching, scholarship and value?
- Is there a promotion and tenure process established? If yes, please describe.
- What is your desired roll-out plan for this solution?
- What is your desired go-live timeline for this solution?
- Will this roll-out be phased in any way (e.g., some units first, others later)?
- Other comments/questions: What else would you like us to know?
Accreditation Reporting + Self-Study Solution — Discovery Guide
- Are you planning on implementing the AEFIS “Accreditation Reporting + Self-Study” Solution within the first academic year? If YES, proceed with the questions below. If NO, you may skip to the end.
- Are self-studies currently managed in a SharePoint, Google Drive, Word Docs?
- When is your next regional accreditation self-study or mid-point review due?
- Do you have any areas for improvement from your last report?
- Are there any professional accreditor self-studies due within the next two years?
- Other comments/questions: What else would you like us to know?
Appendix A:
Reference Information & Documents
Info/Document | Description | Tiny URL Link |
AEFIS Academy | AEFIS Academy, our training and support portal. | http://academy.aefis.com |
AEFIS 101: Introduction to AEFIS | Introduction to AEFIS. | https://tinyurl.com/uk5m4zb |
AEFIS 102: AEFIS Solutions Overview | Overview of AEFIS Solutions. | https://tinyurl.com/s6mg7kb |
AEFIS 103: AEFIS Onboarding Overview | Overview of AEFIS Onboarding. | https://tinyurl.com/s6mg7kb |
AEFIS 104: AEFIS Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR) | Overview of AEFIS Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR). | https://tinyurl.com/vwn44tj |
Academic Research Reimbursement Program | We would like to support academic research and collaboration on assessment best practices. Thus, we created the AEFIS Academic Research Reimbursement Program. | https://tinyurl.com/v42zb93 |
Please refer to AEFIS Onboarding Guide for additional reference information about onboarding and and additional technical reference documentation.
AEFIS Onboarding Discovery Guide Discussion